Portland, Oregon based band Parenthetical Girls, who have a taste for dramatic, keyboard heavy lo-fi rock, are set to release part two of their "Privilege" series on September 21st titled Privilege pt. II – The Past, Imperfect. The band has already made available the new track 'Young Throats' from the aforementioned EP, which has all the drama and heavy layering that defines their sound.

Speaking of the dramatic, the EP is being released as a limited edition vinyl with 500 copies hand numbered in the blood of band member Rachael Jensen! Kinda cool in a creepy way, I guess. You can pre-order the EP here.

Harper Simon sure knows how to write a love song. In the sweetest of harmonies, "Berkeley Girl", is a heartfelt ode to a past lover, current friend. Brings hope that you can be friends with your ex's. This song and video are just so precious, that I think every girl would hope even their current lover to jot down lyrics so romantic. Under the golden hue of this video it's like you entered a vortex of record album covers in action. If Simon's folksy sounds ring a bell of a certain other Simon, then you wouldn't be shocked to know Harper is indeed Paul Simon's son. Glad to see talent this rich go to another generation, but maybe you already knew that since Ray posted about the album in July here . Berkeley Girl is set to released September 13 on PIAS recordings.

Yes that is the girl from Donnie Darko, Jena Malone, in the video. SO PRETTY!!

Our good friends Freezepop who we have known for many years are back with new album 'Imaginary Friends' being released November 9th. Before then you can catch them doing a tour of the west coast. You can see the dates on their site I linked above. If you're anywhere near there I recommend you make the trek and go see them. Not only are they super cool people, but they put on really fun live shows. Seems they have also now added two new members to the band so that should make for even more interesting sets.

You can stream the new track "Magnetic" below. If you like what you hear you can download it on their site in exchange for your email or via this widget I posted below. Coolness! Freezepop forever!!!

The Drums album really hasn't lost much fuel on my Itunes rotation, and now has reignited since debut of their latest video for "Down By The Water". Their ode to girl groups of the '50s and '60s, "Down By Water" is matched to a video of the same retrospect. This song is just so strong, I really thought it was a cover, but no it's all The Drums. Can't wait to catch them at Grand Central with Surfer Blood on September 18.

Now watch their video, basically their passport to dating top models for the rest of their careers.

If there had to be a looping soundtrack to my childhood reminiscing dreams, Altar Eagles would fill that void just perfectly. Brad Rose and his wife Eden Hemming-Rose must have taken out the best snippets of My Bloody Valentine and added a tinge of drone in order to create the dream inducing Mechanical Gardens. I love the hint of dark-wave, slightly gothic undertone that they deliver on this album. Lounging around while listening to their album is pretty therapeutic. Recently released on Type Records, hopefully you have a similar reaction.

My very first post on Off the Radar was about Twin Shadow and over the course of the year the buzz surrounding him has turned into a full on thundering as the critics sing his praises. His debut record "Forget" is out and they're offering a digital download for ONE DOLLAR! So pick up this amazing record! This guy is as talented as he is diverse both on record and live. It's been an exciting process for me personally as a new "blogger" to watch him grow from a blip on the Brooklyn music scene to a full on buzz band you should know. Wouldn't be surprised to see these songs reaching commercial success. DID I MENTION THAT IT'S A FLAWLESS RECORD? Check out the controversial video for "Slow".

The four piece Bravestation from Toronto has given us the gift of their EP "2010" for free via their bandcamp page. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, just take it and "color up your life". Since my music loving roots are planted firmly in Miami, this band reminds me of the days when I used to go see Modernage (something about the melodies/vocals) or ANR (something about the drums in the track "Colour Us With Youth") once a week. GOOD TIMES. It's like indie rock for critical thinkers. Put on the EP and prepare to focus. Check out "Colour Us With Youth" and if you like what you hear, get the EP!

In the book "Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs" by Chuck Klosterman the first chapter is about how all girls are all in love with John Cusack in "Say Anything". At the time it was published I believed this to be a very good point but if there was a reissue in 2010 I'd have to say that every girl is just in love with Ryan Gosling. Not only did he steal our hearts in the "Notebook" (admit it) but he fronts the sexy Dead Man's Bone's as posted about by Ray. Anyways this Turbotito Remix has been getting stuck in my head in very sexy ways.

French electro-rock duoHousse De Racket that I wrote about previously here are back with a new single from their debut album 'Forty Love' about one of my favorite things "Synthetiseurs"! That and guitars makes me a happy man.

Anyways to coincide with the release they sent along a slew of remixes for us to giveaway. Plus if you haven't seen it before, belowis their video for the track as well. Great stuff! Bound to be some remix here you'll like.

Canadian duo Freedom or Death that I wrote about here are back with a new video for their track "Lost in Dances"directed by Spike Jonze of Breeders "Cannonball" video fame as well as movies like 'Being John Malkovich'. Poor dude, what a way to go. Enjoy!

Got sent this excellent indie pop gem the other day by Connecticut artists The Philistines Jr. Seems they have been around for a while, but were on hiatus due to their succesful solo work. The pair consists of brothers, one of which PeterproducesInterpol and The National (nice!).

Anyways seems they got a little break in there and managed to record another album 'If a Band Plays in the Woods...?' and this first track they sent along "The Bus Stop Song" is a short and sweet ditti. Just under 2 min's, it's an indie pop gem! Starts off with the lyrics 'it's the end of the world again', winning lyrics if I ever heard some, haha! Best part is they want to share it with our readers at OTR.

Check it out and see what you guys think. I for one am digging it. Only problem is it's so short, makes me press repeat at least a few times. Extended version anyone??

L.A. synthpop band LexiconDon who I wrote about here and recently released their debut album 'Pink + Blue' are back with new single "Student Body". This one's more funky and is more along the lines of tracks like Breakbot's "Baby I'm Yours" which this track should mix in well with if you're a DJ.

In addition to the single their label Binary sent us an excellent Bit Funk remix that I'm liking more than the original. Probably cause it takes the track in more of an electro-pop direction that I'm always a sucker for.

L.A.'s Ryan York creates an unparralled sound under the name Asura by using guitars, piano, and fuzzy synthesizers. Asura's label Non Projects encourages creativity of art and sound. Which explains the 16 page booklet filled with art that's included with the purchase of a vinyl record of his. A well rounded purchase for anyone who is interested in feeding their imagination.

At first his name made me do a double take. Must have heard the name Asura before, but upon further reasearch it's his first album. I hope both Non Projects and Asura have a flourishing musical journey together. My ears and eyes will join the trip. No invitations required.

A while back, Ray had written about Blonde Redhead giving away a free download of their new track "Maybe Sometimes" in exchange for your e-mail (here's that post). Well Ray, you were right when you'd hoped a new album was in the works. Blonde Redhead's latest album, Penny Sparkle, is slated to be released on September 14th via 4AD Records. Those of you who followed gleefully after the band when they'd gone in a more decidedly electronic direction with their last album 23 might agree that Penny Sparkle is indeed their final destination on that journey. Listening to this album, you can't help but understand that they've found a niche in electronic pop.

Always having been masters of portraying the human psyche in their words and sounds, Penny Sparkle is a poignant blend of beats and self-beatings. Somber with songs dubbed with names like My Plants are Dead, they will surely manage to strike yet another chord with their large following. Though, since I personally have always been a fan of their earlier, more whimsical recordings, I wouldn't be surprised if new and old listeners alike find the album a bit on the boring side. Nevertheless, wherever the band chooses to go next, a trail of loyal fans will surely follow.

Lead singer Charles Haddon jumped to his death after what was quoted by band member Joe Hutchinson as "playing the best gig of his life to 5,000 people". I have been listening to "The Golden Years" non stop and was crushed to hear about the demise of this promising member of the London three piece Ou Est Le Swimming Pool. On the bright side he leaves behind an album of heart felt lyrics loaded with dark sweetness. The song "Outside" is particularly haunting with lyrics like "Now it's too late, I hit the ground." It's a progression of synths that brings an immense emotion (in my case even a tear). The Golden Years is set to be released in October 2010. Check out the track "outside" below or "Dance The Way I Feel" previously posted by Ray.

Condolences to the family of Charles Haddon as well as to his friends and band members. Billy Joel puts it best "only the good die young".

UK indie rock bandThe Futureheads that I wrote about previously here, are back for a second leg of their U.S. tour. This time they're hitting the West Coast. Check out the flyer above and see if they're coming your way. If so, might be a cool show to attend.

Here is their latest animated video for "I Can Do That", plus a sweet electro-pop remix Edwin Van Cleefdid for first single"Heartbeat Song". Delish!! Best part is it's cleared and free to download! Grab that sucker!

Miami'sRyan Evans who we've written about before and I spin with Saturdays @ The Vagabond is back with another winner. This time for a remix of M.I.A.'s"XXXO". Probably my favorite track on M.I.A.'s new album 'Maya'. For this remix he teams up with another excellent Miami DJ/remixer Ruen to bring us a smoothed down electro-pop version that will fit nicely into your DJ sets or iPod, iPad? All of them! Try her out for size. 320 son!

Also just in case you haven't seen it yet, here is M.I.A.'s latest sexy time video for "XXXO".

I was first introduced to 3-piece indie bandLand of Talkfrom Montreal when I saw them perform with my best friend at the Broken Social Scene/CMJ Music Festival at Brooklyn's Masonic Temple. They were a great opening band for Broken Social Scene and I immediately bought their first EP 'Applause, Cheer, Boo, Hiss' that came out in 2006. That EP was one of my soundtracks to my Paris and Belgium trip last June. Great traveling memories! Through further research I found out they are now on tour for their first full length album 'Some Are Lakes' which was released in 2008, but somehow slipped my radar.

They have a new EP, 'Cloak and Cipher' which is being released Tuesday, August 24 via Saddle Creek Records. You can download "Swift Coin" for free here by providing your email address, or get it from us below and save some time. Enjoy!

Although I wasn't able to find much English information written about The Finkielkrauts from France (it was allwritten in French and I only know un petit peu from my high school days), their EP is great! I am really loving their sound and this track, "Cocksucker No Blues" that I'm posting below.

Their first EP "Distance" came out in February on the label Another Record from France. The label describes them as "Noisy Cold Wave". Some of the songs instrumentation also gives off a surf rock feel. You can purchase the EP here. They have some tour dates in France now through Fall/Winter so if you live in France or are headed that way, I would definitely check them out!

Well, the weekend is here and for most of you that means no work for a few days. While unfortunately that's not the case for me, I won't hold a grudge, in fact, I thought I'd give you all something to keep you entertained whilst relaxing indoors on this lazy August afternoon. This is my weekend video roundup!

First up is a vid for Arcade Fire's'Ready To Start'. Yeah, its just a concert video and not some fancy, special effects filled epic tale, but hey, these guys are so amazing live, why would you wanna see anything else? Love this.

Next, moving on from Montreal's Arcade Fire to Athens, Georgia's Of Montreal with the vid for their track 'Coquet Coquette'. This video is about as epic as they come. Some kind of savage every-man-for-himself battle to the death between a bunch of barbarian warriors. Warning: this one gets a little violent.

And now for something completely different, lets end on a more pleasant note. Tennis, who Erika posted here earlier this Summer, have this nice, simple, feel good video for their track 'Cape Dory' which ought to inspire you to get off your computer and get out and enjoy the day!

Hervé Salters? Sounds eerily like 'haute couture', rather than 'haute musique'. Surprise, surprise... Welcome to the world of French-born, vintage keyboard aficionado who happens to write his own music and lyrics. Damn good at it too! So much so that I can put his music on repeat for days, now turned into years, and still call it a favorite.

In 2005, his band General Elektriks songs "Tu M'Intrigues" and "Terms and Conditions Apply" first caught my attention with lyrics like 'You can make pearls out of charcoal, but terms and conditions apply'. Yeah, perhaps he meant 'diamonds', but 4 years later he came out with another album that I would just label as 'hawt'. The album is called 'Good City for Dreamers'.

Now in San Francisco and known as RV Salters, he's still making music by mixing synths with other vintage sounds. He possesses a unique style that is bound to capture you, and how appropriate for music aficionados like you and I to be singing lyrics like 'Raid, raid the radio... because we're tired of hearing the same old song.' Oh and don’t forget 'imagination is what we demand'.

For my debut post, a French talent, and it's not the only one. General Elektriks, "Tu m'intigues"!

Don't know much about NYC artist(s)Gentlemen Thieves, (pretty cryptic too as the only pics I see on their sites are for their logos), but I can tell you they know how to put together a mean remix! This remix they sent us for Beastie Boys classic track "Intergalactic" is ace! Sooooo good! Love me a good remix of a known track like this. Always kills at the clubs, especially as the night wears on and people get that liquor in them. Might test this baby out at The Vagabond tonight. I recommend you DJ's out there do the same.

This is the second great Beastie Boys remix we've posted recently. A few weeks ago I posted another sick remix Alex Metric did for "Sabotage". You can get that one here, if you haven't already. Stock up on those Beastie remixes. Collector's items y'all.

The Ting Tings who took the world by storm in 08' with their tracks "That's Not My Name" and "Shut Up and Let Me Go" are back with an uber catchy new single "Hands". It will be 'officially' released October 11th and will be on their upcoming sophmore album 'Massage Kunst' out sometime in the fall. The track/album was mixed by label mateCalvin Harris and you can tell. The sound on this track is much more electronic than their previous work. An ode to the working manas she sings 'clap your hands if you're working too hard'. Here, here, we can all relate to that and I'm sure that's exactly what the Ting Tings were counting on.

Here is that track for streaming only, plus a couple remixes I found for download. The Low Sunday Indie Fix Remix you can get on their Facebook for free in exchange for your email and the Retro/Grade Remix I found on Hype Machine.

UK's Max Cooper recently sent us this exquisite remix of Hot Chip's "I Feel Better" from their latest album 'One Life Stand'. Pretty amazing re-interpretation! Completely different from the original. Much more chill and down-tempo dub version. Really loving it! One of the best remixes I've heard in quite a while. Check out this 7+ min masterpiece in it's full 320 bit rate glory.

*** Caution though, you may find yourself pressing repeat quite a few times on this one.

Virginia Beach, Virgina four member band We Are Trees has struck folk-pop gold with their free-to-download EP titled Boyfriend. With a singing voice resembling that of Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen and some brilliant songwriting and acoustic instrumentation they create honest and organic lo-fi goodness that they describe on their myspace as 'bedroom pop," rendered to near perfection with immaculate production quality. Particularly enjoying the EP's opening track 'Sunrise Sunset'. You can get that one here, then go download the other three tracks for free on their Bandcamp site here.

Monsieur Adiwho we've written about since 09'here is back with a banging remix for young up-start London duo Paper Crows. The lead singer from Paper Crows is only 18 yrs old and she's already gonna be releasing debut single "Stand Alight"October 11th, which is the track Monsieur Adi remixed here with great disco flair. Definitely a good one for the dance floor! Check it out and keep an eye out for Paper Crows. Have a feeling we'll be hearing more from them.

London duo Visitor who we've written about before here have done this sickly sweet electro-popremix of Australian bandAmy Meredith's track "Young at Heart". It's so sugary you may just get a cavity or two, but who's counting. Delish! Stuck on repeat! Can't wait to play this out in my sets.

Thanks to Sony Music Australia for sending it our way and for listening to OTR ;)

Australia's Bag Raiders who had that amazing track "Shooting Stars" in 08' are finally getting ready to release their self titled debut album October 1st on Modular. Woke up today to hear the new single"Way Back Home" and it is every bit as good as "Shooting Stars"! Electro-pop delicious-ness! Got me pretty psyched to hear the new album!

Also today I saw a video for the track. Pretty sure it's NOT the 'official' video, but a little visual stimulation. Like a spaceship guitar hero version.

Here is the soundcloud of the track, plus that video and the tracklisting for the album. Tic, toc, come on October!

If I could have managed to have a band in high school, I only wish it sounded anything close to New Jersey's Screaming Females. They evoke all these feelings that just make me think its almost 3 o'clock on a Friday, with the weekend ahead of me, and soon enough I can celebrate and go nuts listening to their record. It's as if the Screeching Weasels stepped up their game and replaced Ben Weasel with Marissa Paternoster's shrieking vocals and striking guitar skills. I can only imagine how amazing these guys must sound live and luckily enough, for you and I, they are touring The States and Europe to promote their upcoming album Castle Talk! Releasing September 14th on Don Giovanni Records, check out their new single/video I Don't Mind it and make sure you pre-order their album right here and snag a t-shirt along with it!

Yeasayer recently released this new vid for their track 'Madder Red' off their latest album ODD BLOOD and it is awesomely freaky. The video directed by Andreas Nilsson, stars Kristen Bell who seems to be in love with some sort of sickly nasty-looking creature. Check it out.

Craving some more great new indie pop from down under? Then you are definitely gonna wanna check out New Zealand'sThe Naked & Famous. Their feel good and highly infectious single 'Young Blood', slightly reminiscent in style to the likes of Passion Pit, is a perfect fit for that end-of-summer nostalgia I'm sure a lot of you are starting to experience right now. It also comes complete with an equally excellent video featuring themselves having a damn good time being young and reckless.

The Naked & Famous will be releasing their debut album titled Passive Me, Aggressive You on September 26th, but, alas, only in New Zealand. So if you're a Kiwi, good news for you! Send a few copies our way will ya? In the meantime you can enjoy the vid and download 'Young Blood' from here as yet another excellent addition to this summer's soundtrack.

Kisses have just released a brand spankin new video for their single 'People Can Do the Most Amazing Things' that I posted the track of earlier this summer here. The vid features the duo against some Cali sunset back drops and a rather athletic old guy. Kinda weird and entertaining.

Also found this great remix of the track by Pete Wiggs of Saint Etienne for your listening/downloading enjoyment!

Ghostly International co-founder Matthew Dear is back with album #3 'Black City' being released this week August the 17th. It'shis first new album since 2007's critically acclaimed 'Asa Breed'. I haven't heard the whole thing yet, but Pitchfork gave it a best music rating of 8.4 that you can read here. All the press/reviews I've read so far say it's his darkest most focused work to date, which considering the album title makes perfect sense and gets my interests going.

Ghostly sent over the first single from the album "Little People (Black City)" for us to post. With a dark pulsating disco beat and coming in at 9+ minutes it's pretty epic! Absolutely loving it!

Check it out and see what you guys think. Below is also a teaser video featuring some tracks from the album. You can pick this baby up starting tomorrow at online retailers like iTunes, Amazon or the Ghostly site itself.

P.S. You can also snag "Soil to Seed",track #5 from the album for free on his sitehere. Short track, but very nice also!

The other night I was at a bar in my neighborhood in Brooklyn when I struck up a conversation with the DJ. I was complimenting him on his song selections and we ended up chatting a bit. I told him I write for a music blog and he told me he was in a band. I checked out his band to find a truly inspirational story about four guys in Tehran Iran who's love for "western music" drove them to illegally record their first record and move all the way to NYC so that they could make music freely. Made me think about freedom of speech and how sad it is that some countries ban something as beautiful and precious as music and creativity. Not only did they record illegally but played illegal shows in basements and secret clubs. As said by the lead singer Raam:

"Playing in the undergrounds of Iran was by far the most exciting thing I had ever done in my life. We've played many shows over here in the States, but only a few can compare to those crazy underground gigs. Music is something you can't take away from the people; no matter how hard certain governments try, kids will always find ways to have fun."

Hypernova's sound is full on dance rock. Dark gothy lyrics and guitars and drums that are made for sweaty dance floors. I'm glad these guys stuck it to the regime and found away to make music. They're second album "Through The Chaos" was released in early April. They've been compared to Interpol, Joy Division, and She Wants Revenge. They opened up for Sisters Of Mercy. They sound pretty much like success.

Been a bit since we last posted a DJ Mix and honestly that's cause most of the stuff I've been hearing I haven't dug so much. Anything that starts off with air horns or sounds too much like 'unts, unts, unts' is an instant turn off! Ugghghg, why do people even spin that type of music? I don't get it.

Anyways it took the amazing Alex Metric to break the drought. His new August DJ Mix is just what the doctor ordered. Some indie/house/nu disco will make it all better! Have a listen...

The amazing Tricky is back, releasing new album 'Mixed Race' October the 5th on Domino Records. They've just released a boxing themed video for the first single from the album "Murder Weapon" being released via digital outlets August the 31st. The track is a re-working of the classic dancehall hit by Echo Minnott with vocals by Frankie Riley. Digging the track/video! Check it...

So I just got back from the wonderful city of Chicago where my three days at Grant Park for Lollapalooza could be summed up in two words: amazing and exhausting! With a lineup that was even more fantastical in fruition than it looked on paper, there were a few bands that stood out above the rest as the clear highlights of a solid weekend.

The Highlights:

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. Now, this is the first time I've seen them live and I had heard tales of their amazing stage presence before, giving me high expectations going in. They went above and beyond. Seemed like everything fell into place for this one including the setting. They played a small stage in a grassy clearing surrounded by trees, which perfectly complimented their hippie ambiance. Believe me, if you haven't seen them live yet, you are missing out!

Cut Copy. I think what I loved most about Cut Copy's performance this time was that when they played I believe a lot of people were off trying to get a good spot for Green Day or Phoenix, so while there was a good amount of people around, there was still space to breathe and move, unlike at lots of shows that were overly crowded (like MGMT.) Thus we were able to get pretty close to make the most of their outstanding performance.

Yeasayer.They've been one of my fave bands of the last few years, so I was really looking forward to seeing them. They were as fun to watch as they are to listen to! They're one of those bands whose music sounds even better live than it does recorded. I loved it! They are doing a pretty extensive east coast tour this Fall, so definitely catch them if they are in your area! I recorded a short clip of them performing '2080', sorry for the poor quality.

The Arcade Fire. Wow. Thats all I have to say. Arcade Fire were beyond being the icing on the cake at the end of a mind blowing weekend! As one of my favourite bands ever, I had been hearing wonderful things of their NYC performance just days before this show, and despite playing a stage plagued with sound problems throughout the weekend, they killed it! Soo good. If they tour near you soon, GO SEE THEM!

Honourable Mention:

Dragonette. She went on early in the day on a small stage to a crowd that for the most part didn't really even know who she was. To be honest I went to see her as filler between shows because I was always fond of her 'Fixin to Thrill' track. I was impressed. Acts like her and Arcade Fire this weekend made me proud of my Canadian heritage.

Empire of the Sun. Weren't gonna see them at first actually cuz they played at the same time as Phoenix. But sure am glad I did, what a visually incredible show!

There were many other great ones, MGMT of course, The Antlers, Chromeo, Hot Chip and The Strokes were all really good. But those were the main highlights of my weekend.

For all of you that went I'd love to hear your feedback too! Let us know your faves!

BONUS ::: Yeasayer's track 'Madder Red' was one of my favourite songs I saw performed over the weekend, so check out this awesome remix by Little Loud!